porter's journal. 



raw fish was disagreeable to me, he wrapped the remain- 

 der in a palm leaf, and handed it to a youth to keep for 

 him until a more convenient opportunity offered for indul- 

 ging himself. On my way to the square, I observed several 

 young warriors hastening along towards the place, armed 

 with their spears, at the ends of which were hung plantains, 

 bread-fruit, or cocoa-nuts, intended as offerings to their 

 gods ; and on my approach to the square, I could hear them 

 heating their drums and chanting their war-sougs. 1 soon 

 discovered five or six hundred of them assembled about the 

 dead bodies, which were lying on the ground, still attached 

 to the poles with which they had been brought from the 

 scene of action. The warriors were all armed with 

 their spears, and several large drums, highly ornamented 

 with cloth, tastefully secured on with sinnet, were placed 

 near the slain, on which some were employed beating, while 

 Tawattaa and another priest, elevated above the rest, ap- 

 peared to preside over the ceremonies. Ah ! said Wilson, 

 they are now making their infernal feast on the bodies of 

 the dead. At this moment my approach was discovered. 

 They were all thrown into the utmost confusion ; the dead 

 bodies were in an instant snatched from the place where 

 they lay, and hurried to a distance among the bushes, and 

 shouting and hallooing evinced the utmost consternation. 

 I now believed the truth of Wilson's declaration, and my 

 blood recoiled with horror at the spectacle I was on the 

 point of witnessing. I directed them in an authoritative 

 manner to return the bodies to the place whence they had 

 taken them, and refused to advance a step farther until 

 they had done so. With much reluctance they brought 

 them back 5 two of them carefully covered with branches 

 of the cocoa-tree, the others were entirely uncovered. I 

 immediately caused them all to be exposed to my view, 

 and to my great surprise found them uiirautilated, except 

 by the clubs with which they had been despatched. 1 in- 

 quired immediately into the cause of their carrying them 

 off in such haste, and was informed that they supposed the 

 sight of dead bodies would have proved disagreeable to 

 me. I told them 1 had come to claim them, in order that 

 they might be buried, and desired that they might be carried 

 to the camp, where a grave was already dug for their in- 

 terment. I told them that I was apprehensive that they 



